Makoto Suematsu: fast-tracking medical research in Japan

Makoto Suematsu, Founding President of Japan’s new Agency for Medical Research and Development AMED: The situation in Japan is so crazy, but now I will stay in Japan because I have a mission

Medical research in Japan: Fast-tracking medical research and development in Japan

In April 2015 Japan created the new “Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED” inspired by the US NIH (National Institutes of Health), “to promote integrated research and development in the field of medicine”.

Professor Makoto Suematsu was selected as the founding President of AMED, to build up this new Japanese national medical research agency.

Professor Makoto Suematsu is not only an outstanding medical professional and researcher, but he is also extremely outspoken about the many changes necessary to “fast-track” medical research in Japan, and particularly to overcome the fragmentation, “the Balkanization” of medical research in Japan, due to several different competing and overlapping supervising Government ministries and agencies in the past.

Professor Makoto Suematsu also explained the priorities he is setting to set out with relatively modest resources.